Hide and Sneak
by Child of a Pineapple
Summary: FINISHED Sometimes it's surprising who you meet in dark alleys. Written for Insanity101's Least Favorite Pairing challenge. OneShot.


Okay, so this is in response to Dusty's challenge—write a one-shot about a pairing you dislike strongly. And since I pretty much dislike pairings in general (there are a few that I don't mind), it was tough to just pick one. But I finally just bucked up and decided, so here we are.

**Disclaimer** – If I owned Teen Titans, Bart Allen would be on the show. Impulse is way cooler than all those other stupid kids -–grumbles--.

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**Hide and Sneak**

There was something thrilling about sneaking. The way her heart sped up as she tiptoed to the door, and that prickling feeling that she was being watched—just the idea of danger was enough to spike her adrenaline as she waited for the clock to strike midnight.

Jinx cautiously crept through the main room of the Hive Five HQ, wary of waking her teammates. The front door slid open at her touch, and she exited quickly. As soon as the door had clicked shut once more, she sprinted down the hallway and out of the buildings. Agile legs carried her lithe form silently into the darkness.

A light drizzle picked up as she traveled through a pitch black alleyway, deep within the tangled twists and turns that made up the worst part of town. She passed the occasional rat, and worse, the scum-bag sorry excuses for humans that lived like them. These sights were the kind that made Jinx appreciate her unique nature. If she were normal…well, she could think of more than a few places she'd rather be than living among garbage. Dead was near the top of the list. Then again, her home, and her companions, weren't exactly grade A material, either.

Lost in her musings, Jinx failed to notice the man standing in her path. A lone, flickering street lamp illuminated her surroundings as she skidded to a stop. Still in shock, Jinx found herself staring down the business end of Cyborg's sonic cannon.

"Well, look what I found." Cyborg kept his weapon raised, but didn't fire it.

"Nice job, Tin Man, you caught me," Jinx commented dryly. "But I wasn't doing anything wrong. What are you down _here _for, anyway?"

"Figured I'd head you off," Cyborg said casually. "I knew the moment you left HQ."

Jinx's eyes narrowed in anger. "Oh, so who's in the wrong now?"

Cyborg smirked. "Gotta love tracking devices."

Jinx could feel her face flushing red as her temper flared. Still, looking down the barrel of a weapon was enough to kill off any retaliation plans.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Cyborg's watched Jinx carefully as she frowned.

"That you cheated."

"No, that I win." Cyborg lowered his weapon and took a step closer to Jinx, so that they were only inches apart.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Jinx countered, grinning slyly.

Her arms found their way around his neck, and the two were pulled tightly together. One strong hand snaked around her waist as she returned the gesture. Their kiss was fierce and passionate, and contained every ounce of pent-up emotion the pair contained. They broke apart for a brief second, but the desire was too great, and their lips were connected again an instant later.

Soon they broke apart once more—it was far too soon for Jinx. She let go of his neck and leaned her head against his chest, content to let him hold her in his strong arms. His metal body was cold against her rain-soaked skin, but she wasn't ready to pull away. With one of his silver hands, Cyborg tenderly brushed the rain away from her face.

"C'mon," he whispered suddenly, snapping Jinx back into the real world. He took her hand to lead her out of the alley, but she stopped him.

"No, we can't," she protested. "We'll be seen. What would happen to my reputation if I got caught prancing around the city with a Titan?"

Cyborg raised an eyebrow in question. "Now why would that be bad?"

Jinx rolled her eyes. "I _know_ people, Tin Man. And so do you. How would the law-abiding citizens of Jump City feel when they found out their beloved Cyborg spends his nights chasing me around the slums?"

"Maybe I don't care." His tone was a little too serious and Jinx scowled.

"The point is to be sneaky," she scolded him. "This wouldn't be any fun if people knew we were doing it."

"But then I wouldn't have to go two weeks without seeing you," Cyborg pointed out.

Jinx dismissed him. "That's just because I'm a better player than you. I don't have to cheat."

Cyborg sighed, and Jinx could tell he was about to be serious again. Not like it was going to do him any good…

"It shouldn't have to be this way, Jinx," he said quietly. "This could be real, not just some game of hide and seek."

"Yes, it does," Jinx snapped impatiently. "Did you get caught or something? Because if you did…" She let the threat hang.

"I didn't get caught," he assured her. "Raven suspects that something's going on, but she doesn't know what."

Raven. Jinx recalled the gothic girl—the Titan she despised more than the rest. It was just like that little demon to screw everything up.

"Are all of your friends cocky pricks, or is she just special?" Jinx quipped. "But I guess I don't have room to talk."

"You know what I think about that." Cyborg was frowning slightly, and Jinx could sense another lecture coming on. She might as well just beat him to it.

She shook her head. "Okay, maybe I live with a bunch of slime balls in the worst part of town. But I can't exactly saunter off to your cozy little tower, either. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not interested in the whole 'good-guy' routine."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Cyborg said gently.

"You don't have to." Jinx sighed again. This just wasn't something she could explain. She had enough trouble believing it herself. "Look, if you care about me so much, then you should want me to be happy. Right?"

Cyborg was still frowning, as if he didn't want to answer. "You're happy?"

"Sometimes." Jinx suddenly grinned slyly. "I am right now." She kissed him swiftly on the cheek. "Make sure I am tomorrow, too."

Jinx turned and darted back into the shadows, already planning the next night's game.

**END**

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Ehh…I hate romance. -–shudders-- But that was actually kind of fun. I gotta thank my little sister, who helped me work out the kissy parts. Please review!

**Child of a Pineapple**


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